U.S condemns attack on bus in Uva Province

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 January 2008, 11:05 GMT]
The Embassy of the United States of America, in a press release said it strongly condemned the attack on a civilian bus. Expressing condolences to the victims and their families, the U.S. statement said the targeting of civilians serves to foster fear and cause further suffering among the Sri Lankan people. Only a political solution to the country’s conflict offers a way out of the current cycle of escalating violence.
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Elections Commissioner rejects appeal to postpone election in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 January 2008, 10:26 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Commissioner of Elections has rejected the appeal made by the political parties to postpone the elections to nine local authorities in Batticaloa district including the Batticaloa Municipal Council as the current ground situation is not conducive for holding such polls in a peaceful atmosphere.
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'Pathetically unenforceable' – Sri Lanka response to UN war crimes warning

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 January 2008, 23:44 GMT]
Sri Lanka’s militarist government reacted furiously Tuesday to warnings by UN Human Rights Chief, Louise Arbour, that human rights abuses in Sri Lanka left perpetrators and their commanders at risk of international war crimes charges. Rejecting Ms. Arbour’s comments as “pathetically unenforceable threats,” Sri Lanka’s embassy to the UN said the Colombo government “will not be deterred by thinly veiled threats attempting to undermine the morale of its military, deter its military campaigns and save separatist terrorism from elimination.” It also challenged the transparency of funding for Ms. Arbour’s office and the extent to which it represented the “world’s peoples.”
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Tamils respect Pirapaharan's single-minded commitment- civil activist

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 15 January 2008, 18:12 GMT]
Prominent Tamil civil society activist, Shanthi Satchithanandam, discussing her views on Pirapakaran's role in the Tamil National struggle, says: "Pirapaharan is the single most dedicated leader who gave voice and form to the demands put forward by Tamil political leaders of the 50s, 60s and 70s," in an interview to Vikalpa, a citizen journalism initiative in Sri Lanka built on the effort pioneered by the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Colombo-based think-tank.
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Iran's Finance Minister visits Sri Lanka

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 15:14 GMT]
Iran's Finance Minister Davoud Danesh-Jafari arrived in Colombo Monday on a formal three-day visit to discuss bilateral economic cooperation between the countries before visiting New Delhi on Wednesday, ministry officials at the Iranian embassy in Colombo told the Iranian news agency, the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA). The visit by the Iranian finance minister was in response to the recent visit by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajpaksa to Iran, according to a news report by the IRNA. Mr. Danesh-Jafari is scheduled to meet the Sri Lankan President during his stay in Colombo.
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Monopoly on Violence

[TamilNet, Monday, 14 January 2008, 02:05 GMT]
German social scientist Maxwell Weber said one hundred years ago that the monopoly on violence, and the provision of security and public order, are the cornerstones of modern, Westphalian, state legitimacy. A current school of conflict resolution theory has advanced a more progressive definition of "Public monopoly of force," that accommodates legitimate international intervention in "fragile or failing" states. In many cases, such as in Sri Lanka, the challenge by an armed non-state actor to the Weberian State's monopoly of violence can pose a serious threat to the State's stability, creating further need for an international response commensurate with "Public monopoly of force" doctrine.
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Indian Foreign Minister refuses to criticise Colombo for abrogating CFA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 17:29 GMT]
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, in an interview to CNN-IBN news channel, Sunday admitted that India had "scrupulously avoided" being a party to peace negotiations in Sri Lanka. The Indian FM who last week had ruled out any military solution to the ethnic strife in the war-torn island, on Sunday, failed to criticize Sri Lanka for abrogating the ceasefire. Questioned whether Colombo's decision to abrogate the ceasefire agreement was a "mistake," the minister replied that "any country that takes action against terrorists is free to do so within their legal system."
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Fonseka vows not to leave war to successor

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 January 2008, 06:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army Commander Lt. Gen. G.S.C Fonseka, due for retirement this year, has claimed that he would not leave the war to his succeeding commander, at a New Year party hosted by him Friday evening to select local and international journalists at his residence at Bauddhaloka Mawatha in Colombo. Fonseka was being tactfully upbeat as news of an explosion inside Fort Railway station threatened to dampen spirits at the cocktail party.
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Colombo's low enthusiasm on reconciliation, distressing- British FM

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 19:21 GMT]
During discussion in British Parliament on 8 Jan 2008, Dr Kim Howells, British Foreign Minister, in responding question on increasing number of killings in Sri Lanka, said: "I think that the most distressing feature is how the Government have won some military battles, but then become less enthusiastic about reconciliation and involving everyone who lives on that troubled island in a more inclusive way. We will continue to work with the Government, however, to emphasise that reconciliation must take place. There must be talks; otherwise the killing will continue."
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Hakeem seeks legal redress for reduction in security personnel

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 16:47 GMT]
Rauf Hakeem, leader of Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) filed a petition Friday in Colombo Supreme Court stating that reducing security for him is a violation of human rights, simultaneously claiming a compensation of 100 million Rupees from the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL).
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Goods pilfered in Colombo Harbor, Jaffna traders complain

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 13:49 GMT]
Jaffna Traders Association representives accused workers and other agents at Colombo Harbor for organized pilfering of millions of rupees worth of goods waiting to be transported to Jaffna, and blamed this theft as one of the key reason for the elevated prices of essential food and other items in Jaffna compared to the prices in other areas of Sri Lanka, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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Co-chairs request Colombo to provide diplomatic access to Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 January 2008, 10:59 GMT]
The Co-Chairs of the Tokyo Donor Conference for Sri Lanka Peace Process, the United States, the European Union, Japan, and Norway, jointly expressing "strong concerns" about the termination of the 2002 CFA by the Government of Sri Lanka, Saturday called on the GoSL to provide access to the Liberation Tigers of Tamileelam in Ki'linochchi for representatives of the Co-Chairs and the facilitator, Norway. The Co-chairs also expressed deep concern about the human rights situation and protection of civilians in Sri Lanka, and called for continued monitoring of the human rights situation by such means as to assure an appropriate role for the United Nations.
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Parents of 2 arrested students seek HRC help

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 18:32 GMT]
The parents of two students of Jaffna St. Patrick College arrested and held in connection with Maheswaran’s killing sought help from Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) Friday to have them released. Jaffna police produced the two students, alleged to be involved in the assassination of Tamil parliamentarian Maheswaran, before Jaffna Magistrate R. T. Vignarajah January 2nd who directed them to be produced before Colombo Chief Justice.
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SLMM representatives to leave Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 17:36 GMT]
One fo the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) representatives in Jaffna peninsula is expected to leave to Colombo by plane Saturday, while the other will be leaving on Sunday, sources in Jaffna said. The earlier arrangements to hand over the SLMM vehicles and office equipment to two Danish NGOs had to be abandoned at the last moment due to legal issues related to transferring ownership of the vehicles, the sources added.
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"Military solution is all Mr. Rajapakse has left" - Wall Street Journal

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 15:47 GMT]
Despite holding moral high ground as countries have labelled the LTTE terrorists and cracked down on funding, Rajapakse's "commitment to the negotiated cease-fire has always been shaky," and Rajapakse and his party "have done little to win over moderate Tamils," said the Wall Street Journal in an article published in Friday edition, and added that "now, the military solution is all Mr. Rajapakse has left, and it's not a sure bet by any means."
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Bomb explodes in Colombo Fort station

[TamilNet, Friday, 11 January 2008, 14:11 GMT]
A bomb explosion was reported in Colombo Fort Railway station at 7:30 p.m. Friday. All railway services have been cancelled. One person has been reported injured. The bomb exploded underneath the pedestrian bridge that connects two platforms, informed sources said.
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SLMM representatives preparing to leave Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2008, 17:48 GMT]
The representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) are completing any remaining activities and are preparing to leave Jaffna peninsula on the 16th, two weeks after the unilateral withdrawal of Sri Lanka state from the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources in Jaffna said. SLMM representatives are handing over their vehicles and equipments to two Danish Non-governmental Organizations which still remain in Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.
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Jaffna braces for battle

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2008, 13:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna have forwarded requests to the Director of Public Health Service (DPHS) in Jaffna to hand over the ambulances in their use in case of an emergency situation, sources in Health Ministry in Colombo said. Speculation is rife in Jaffna that SLA is preparing an offensive in the northern front, civil society sources in Jaffna said.
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Sri Lanka's UN mission refutes newsreport on losing voting right at UNHRC

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 January 2008, 12:40 GMT]
The Sri Lankan mission to the United Nations office in Geneva, on Thursday, refuted a front page story by the Colombo based news paper, Daily Mirror, which said Sri Lanka had lost its powers to vote at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). Urging the paper to publish an apology, the Sri Lankan mission, in a statement said it is a full fledged member of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) with "all rights including the unfettered right to vote." Sri Lanka's two-year initial term as the elected member of the 47-seat HRC ends this year and a periodic review of the country is scheduled to take place between 5–16 May 2008.
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Negotiations, sole path to peace in Sri Lanka- Pope

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 09 January 2008, 17:23 GMT]
“Pope has a special place for the people of Sri Lanka in his heart and in his Christmas message he did mention the need to seek peace through negotiation in Sri Lanka by all parties concerned,” Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Mario Zinari, the Papal representative for Sri Lanka said in an event Wednesday in Jaffna handing over 150 houses built by HUDEC to Tsunami victims, sources in Jaffna said. Rev. Harlold Anthony, Bishop of Galle Diocese, Rt. Rev. Dr. Thomas Savundranayagam, Bishop of Jaffna and Jaffna Government Agent, K. Ganesh took part in the event, the sources added.
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